Discussion
Some interesting posts have been started the last couple of days/weeks reg broken britain, homelessness, how fragile is your life etc, which makes me wonder if we are in a steep decline from some 'golden years'.
There's a visible change in almost every area since ten or so years, empty or struggling businesses (or the umpteenth barber/nail/Asian food shop), more beggars, the cost of living takes its toll, a general decline of quality or service in almost everything.
On the other hand, as mankind we've never been healthier, more educated, alive longer, and wealthier than ever before.
It may be ambitious to impossible to determine anything that came before as we can't possibly know, but did we achieve peak mankind already?
For example the palazzo ducale in Venice has the largest unsupported hall in Europe, about 55 m long, and this was in the 15th century.
Notre-Dame was around 200 years earlier, and don't get me started on some pyramids...
Ancient Greece, Egypt or the Roman Empire had a functional society system with relative security, 2000 years ago.
Things sped up a bit in the industrial age, to the point where we are today, we lost a lot of skills on the way, not many proper mechanics/builders/whatever requres a certain amount of capability around anymore.
Overcomplexication in so many areas, but not that many able to fulfill the needs...
It seems we have it all but are not able or willing to get the best out of it for the sake of all, or do we still have some great things in the waiting and still are in a positive progression? Or worse, we achieved peak some 500 years ago?
BTW, it's not supposed to sound like an old man yelling at clouds rant, just my observation.
There's a visible change in almost every area since ten or so years, empty or struggling businesses (or the umpteenth barber/nail/Asian food shop), more beggars, the cost of living takes its toll, a general decline of quality or service in almost everything.
On the other hand, as mankind we've never been healthier, more educated, alive longer, and wealthier than ever before.
It may be ambitious to impossible to determine anything that came before as we can't possibly know, but did we achieve peak mankind already?
For example the palazzo ducale in Venice has the largest unsupported hall in Europe, about 55 m long, and this was in the 15th century.
Notre-Dame was around 200 years earlier, and don't get me started on some pyramids...
Ancient Greece, Egypt or the Roman Empire had a functional society system with relative security, 2000 years ago.
Things sped up a bit in the industrial age, to the point where we are today, we lost a lot of skills on the way, not many proper mechanics/builders/whatever requres a certain amount of capability around anymore.
Overcomplexication in so many areas, but not that many able to fulfill the needs...
It seems we have it all but are not able or willing to get the best out of it for the sake of all, or do we still have some great things in the waiting and still are in a positive progression? Or worse, we achieved peak some 500 years ago?
BTW, it's not supposed to sound like an old man yelling at clouds rant, just my observation.
Skeptisk said:
Without defining what you mean by “peak” it is not really possible to comment. Peak happiness? Peak technology? Peak health? Peak peace (absence of wars and conflict)? Peak sustainability?
Peak mankind, simple as that.I'm well aware that in former times people died at 35ish, be it because of insufficient medication or war or any other reason.
As well, technology brought certain by-products (like sustainability, which was never an issue before), and a lot of comfort, and AI can do things beyond imagination, but in general is it better for mankind as a whole?
Happiness is way too personal for generalisation, so I can't possibly except an answer.
As said from other posters, western society is downhill ever so subtle (or not), and slavery is still existing even in developed parts of the world, but world hunger/health/alphabetism etc is definitely better compared to former times, so there should be reason to cheer.
What I'm trying to grasp is, if we as society and world community have reached the zenith, or can we still except fundamental changes for positive development?
Or was everything better in the early 80s...? Formula 1 was, that's for sure...
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